Adjustable shelf structure



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

PETER E.DAVEY 8..

THEIR ATTORNEY LE ROY R. PATTERSON.JR.

May 27, 1958 P. E. DAVEY ET AL ADJUSTABLE SHELF STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 21,1953 FIG.I

May 27, 1958 P. E. DAVEY ETAL ADJUSTABLE SHELF STRUCTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet2 Filed Dec. 21, 1953 INVENTORQ PETER E.DAVEY &

BY LE ROY R. PATTERSON.JR.

THElR ATTORNEY ADEZJSTABLE SHELF STRUCTURE Peter E. Davey and Le Roy R.Patterson, Jr., Erie, Pa., assignors to General Electric Company, acorporation of New York Application December 21, 1953, Serial No. $9,3841 Claim. (c1. 211-=-=-146) Y The present invention relates to adjustableshelf structures and more particularly to rotatable shelves havingprovision for the vertical adjustment of the height thereof.

To increase the accessibility to the contents of a'caoinet, for examplea refrigerator cabinet, it is desirable to provide a shelf of a rotabletype so that the contents of the cabinet stored on the rear portions ofthe shelf can be readily brought to an accessible position. Furthermore,when a plurality of shelves are involved it is desirable to make one ormore of the shelves adjustable in height so that the spacing between theshelves can be varied to accommodate articles of various sizes andheights.

it is an object of the present invention to provide a shelf arrangementincluding at least one rotatable, vertically adjustable shelf structure.

t is a further object of the present invention to provide a rotatableshelf structure including an improved adjustable means for supportingthe rotable shelves.

In accordance with the present invention these objects and additionalobjects which will become apparent from the following description of theinvention are attained by providing an adjustable shelf structureincluding a rotatable shelf supported on a vertically extending threadedsupporting shaft by means of a collar in threaded engagement with theshaft and a sleeve rotatably supported on the collar with the sleeveforming part of the rotatable shelf structure. Means are also providedfor maintaining the sleeve in a predetermined position with reference tothe collar. Additional means are provided engaging the collar and akeyway extending longitudinally of the threaded shaft which means isdisengageable to permit relative rotation of the collar and shaft forVarying the height of the shelf.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view partly in section of a refrigeratorcabinet including a portion of a shelf assembly;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view partially in section of a portion of theshelf structure;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the shelf structure of Fig. 3;and

Fig. 5 is a view taken along lines 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a refrigerator cabinet 1including a storage compartment 2 and a door 3 closing the accessopening to the storage compartment. Mounted on the bottom wall 4 of thestorage compartment is the shelf assembly including a verticallyextending threaded shaft 5 and a plurality of adjustable shelves 5rotatably mounted on the shaft 5. The shelves 6 are of a generallysemicircular shape as are also the walls defining the storagecompartment. Preferably the front edges 7 of the shelves are spacedsomewhat from the inner walls of the door 3 in order to provide room fora plurality of door shelves 8 mounted on the inner wall of the door. Bythis arrangement it atent will be seen that the portions of the shelvesmost readily accessible without rotation thereof extend along the entirefront of the storage compartment.

Each of the rotatable shelves 6 includes a hub portion 9 on which theshelf is mounted and which in turn is in threaded engagement with thethreaded shaft 5. As shown more clearly in Figs. 35, the hub portion 9is composed of a collar it in threaded engagement with the shaft 5 and asleeve 11 rotatably mounted on the collar 1d. The sleeve 11 includes aflange 12 extending around the lower end thereof and the shelf 6 issuitably secured to the flange 12 for example by means of bolts 13.

The sleeve 11 is supported on the collar ill by means of a flange l4integral with the lower end of the collar lit. Means are also providedfor maintaining the sleeve or hub 11 in a predetern ied positionrelative to the collar 16, this positioning means generally including arecess in the upper surface of the flange 14 and a stop or pin mountedon the flange l2 of sleeve 11 which is adapted to engage the recess 15and to be br ught in alignment therewith. The stop or pin 16 is mountedin a housing 17 and is retained therein by means of a shoulder 1/ whichnormally rests on the retaining plate 20 having an opening therein foraccommodating the protruding portion of the pin it). There is alsoprovided a spring 21 Within the housing 17 and in engagement with thecollar or shoulder 19 biasing the pin in a downward direction.

While the positioning means including the spring biased. pin is and therecess 15 is provided primarily for maintaining the shelf in apredetermined angular position Within the storage compartment 2, that iswith its flat front edge 7 extending transverse of the access opening tothe storage compartment, it is desirable that this positioning means heso constructed and arranged that the shelf can be easily rotatedrelative to the collar 19 to bring the rear portions thereof intoaccessible position at the front of the storage cabinet. To accomplishthis purpose either the lower end 22 of the pin or the radial wallsdefining the recess 15 or both are tapered or sloped so that while thepin 16 in cooperation with the recess 15 will prevent accidentalrotation of the shelf structure relative to the-collar it a slightmanual pressure on the periphery of the shelf 6 will cause the pin 16 todisengage itself from the recess 15 and permit rotation of the shelfrelative to the collar 10. During the rotation of this shelf the pin 16will ride on the upper surface of the flange l4 and after one completerotation will again come in contact with the recess 15. a

As the collar fail is in threaded engagement with the supporting shaft5, relative rotation between the collar and the shaft is utilized tovary the height of the shelf on the shaft, and hence the distancebetween adjacent shelves. In order to control this relative rotation,there is provided releasable locking means engaging th and the shaft.The locking means includes a key slidably mounted in a recess or opening27 in the collar and adapted to engage a keyway 23 extending longihrdinally of the shaft 5. The keyway 23 is preferably arranged on the rearside of the shaft 5 with reference to the front of the storagecompartment so that it is not visible when the door 3 is open. The outerend 3% of the key 26 is connected to the mid section of a yoke 31 andthe ends of the yolte 33 extend forwardly on opposite sides of thecollar it Downwardly extending portions 32 and outwardly extending tips33 on the yoke provide means for securing a pressure plate 34 to thefront end of the yoke structure. The pressure plate 34, which overlapsthe sleeve 11, includes on the rear face thereof a recess 35 toaccommodate the downwardly extending portions 32 of the yoke and aretainer 36 connected at its mid section to the plate 34 with its ends v37 overlapping downwardly yoke and retaining these portions in therecess 35. A spring 38 between the plate structure and the collarnormally biases the locking means in a forward direction for maintainingthe key 26 in engagement with the keyway.

28. VA recess 3 in the surface of *the collar 10 accomk modates one endof the spring 38 while the other end of the spring is anchored to aspring pin '40 rigidly attached to the retainer 36and thereby to therear face of the pressure plate. By this arrangement it will be notedthat the entire locking means is supported on the collar 10 by means ofthe key 26 resting in the recess 27 on'one side and on the opposite sideof the collar by the spring 38 which biases'the locking means in aforward direction and hence maintains the pressure plate For verticaladjustment of the shelf a slight pressure applied to the pressure plate34'disengages the key 26 from the keyway 28 so that ,the vcollar 10 canbe rotated on the shaft 5 :thus changing the vertical position engageskeyway 28. With the shelf locked in its new position all rotationalmovement of the shelf relative to the shaft structure is againcontrolled by means of the stop mechanism including pin 16 and therecess 15. If desired a cap 41 may be provided for improving theappearance of the'upper portion of the shelf structure,

the cap having an opening 41a therein to accommodate button orprojection 42 on the pressure plate 34.

From the above description it will be seen that. there has been providedan adjustable shelf structure the shelves of which can be readily raisedor lowered even when fully loaded. Also while .fully loaded one or. moreof the shelves can be turned to an angle of 90 in either direcextendingportions 32 of the 7 in spaced relationship with the collar 10 and thesleeve 11. e

tion to facilitate cleaning of the interior of the storage compartmentwithout removal of the. shelves or their contents from the compartment.To facilitate the rotational movement of the shelves with reference tothe collar 10, low friction bearings 4.3 may be provided between thecollar 10 and the sleeve 11.

Whilethere has been disclosed a specific, embodiment of the presentinvention as applied to a household refrigerator, it will be apparentthat various modifications thereof can be made'and it is intended by theappended claim to cover all such modifications within the spirit andscope of the invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:'

An adjustable shelf structure including a fixed, vertically-extending,threaded shaft having a longitudinally extending keyway, a flangedcollar in threaded engagement,

with said shaft, a shelf rotatably supported on said collar, said shelfincluding a hub supported by the flangeon said collar; locking meansengaging said collar and said shaft for preventing relative rotationthereof,said'lock-.

ing means including a key slidably mounted in an opening in said collarabove said hub engaging said keyway,

a plate overlapping said hub on the opposite side of said collar fromsaid key, a yoke above said hub connecting said plate and saidkey,spring means anchored to said plate and engaging a recess in said collarfor main-' taining said key in engagement with said shaft, said springmeanstand said key supporting said yoke, on said collar in spacedrelation with said hub, and a button on said plate to release said keyfrom said keyway.

References Cited in the file of this patent V V UNITED STATES PATENTS353,419

Lamson ...L Nov. 30,1886] 699,889 Morsell' May13, 1902 969,698 HughesSept. 6, 1910 1,155,627 Travers Oct. 5, 1915 1,160,108 Hasty Nov. 9,,1915 1,589,847 Hansen June 22, 1926 2,182,003 Roark Dec. 5, 1939' HeroldAug. 5, 1941

